Evangelical Christianity Has Been Nearly Outlawed In USA Prisons By A Federal Judge
Wednesday, 26 July 2006
Evangelical Christianity Has Been
Nearly Outlawed In USA Prisons
By A Federal Judge
Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christianity is one step closer to being outlawed everythwere in the United States after a Federal judge ruled against an Evangelical Prison ministry. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Pratt ruled against Prison Fellowship Ministries' "innerChange" program. The ruling could shut down ministries across America and perhaps cost lots of money. Yesterday, it was the schools. Today its the prisons. Tomorrow ???
The Judge handed down a negative ruling that centered on his own definition of what constitutes evangelical Christianity. According to Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship Ministries, "His definition will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, because of the erroneous nature of his definition and its caricature-like quality."
The judge stated his definition of Evangelicals:
“tend to be anti-sacramental, which means it downplays the traditional sacramental Christian events — baptism, holy communion or Eucharist, marriage, ordination, etc. — as appropriate ways to interact or meet with God… Whereas traditional, organized religious groups, such as Roman Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, and Lutherans, employ a structured, highly liturgical style of worship, Evangelical Christian worship is free form with individual pastors given authority to determine how services are planned. For instance, Evangelical Christians have embraced contemporary music forms and multi-media presentations” (Case 4:03-cv-90074-RP-TJS Document 367).
Does that mean contemporary music and multi-media presentations may threaten the constitutionality of charitable programs? It appears so, if Judge Pratt’s ruling is allowed to stand.
Pratt ruled also that:
“The Prison Fellowship and InnerChange belief in the substitutionary and atoning death of Jesus, which reflects a legalistic understanding of the sacrifice of Jesus, likewise, is not shared by many Christians… Belief in the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus is also not shared by many other, non-Evangelical Christians… Belief in an imminent, personal, and visible second coming of Jesus Christ, as held by Prison Fellowship and InnerChange, does not comport with the belief held by other non-Evangelical Christians that, if a second coming of Christ occurs, its nature is unknown, or is more spiritualized” (Case 4:03-cv-90074-RP-TJS Document 367).
And possibly most egregious of all Evangelical activities, Pratt ruled - by definition of what is believed - everything they do is construed to convert someone and is therefore unconstitutional.
Pratt’s ruling came about because of a suit filed in U. S. District Court in Iowa by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a self-proclaimed Washington D.C. “liberty watchdog group,” against PFM and InnerChange specifically.
The "InnerChange" progarm is highly structured and operated by PFM in ten states. It receives tax dollars to educate prisoners academically as well as help with job placement and life skills. A study of the group's efforts (the 2004 University of Pennsylvania Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society) has shown to dramatically reduce recidivism. While tax monies are used for non-sectarian purposes, 60 percent of InnerChange’s budget is made up of donations. But the heart of the suit is InnerChange’s bedrock principal that real change comes through the teachings of Jesus Christ, which is now ruled to be a disqualifier for faith-based initiative dollars.
The Prison Fellowship Ministry leader added: “If this definition is allowed to stand, others — lawyers and courts — can define Evangelical Christianity in an erroneous and caricature-ish way ‘as trying to convert someone,’ and set the stage for any evangelical ministry in any setting connected with the government -- whether a soup kitchen or a home for the mentally disabled, Salvation Army, or the services provided by Catholic Charities to adults in public institutions that have requested religious services -- to be ruled against anytime there is a challenge to the establishment clause.”
If that were not enough, to add insult to injury the judge fined the ministry $1.5 million dollars to be paid back to the State of Iowa and ordered that the program be discontinued. The move is bound to further discourage any other ministry attempts.
That's not all. The language of the judge's ruling also indicated that even if ministries are funded totally by private dollars, the ministry would remain unconstitutional. Such a ruling has far-reaching implications for any religious group, but especially evangelical and fundamentalist Christian groups. As the ruling stands, no one can provide religious services to anyone in a governmental setting, even if funded only by private money. The idea is to take religion out of every facet of anything government touches. That means, America is one step closer to outlawing true Christianity and outlawing Jesus Christ, the Bible and God. Confirming details here.
Is it any wonder then that God has labelled America: "mystery" Babylon - The MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS and of the Abominations of the Earth? Surely, America deserves nothing less than eternal damnation and a seat by Satan in Hell.
Evangelical Christianity Has Been
Nearly Outlawed In USA Prisons
By A Federal Judge
Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christianity is one step closer to being outlawed everythwere in the United States after a Federal judge ruled against an Evangelical Prison ministry. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Pratt ruled against Prison Fellowship Ministries' "innerChange" program. The ruling could shut down ministries across America and perhaps cost lots of money. Yesterday, it was the schools. Today its the prisons. Tomorrow ???
The Judge handed down a negative ruling that centered on his own definition of what constitutes evangelical Christianity. According to Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship Ministries, "His definition will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, because of the erroneous nature of his definition and its caricature-like quality."
The judge stated his definition of Evangelicals:
“tend to be anti-sacramental, which means it downplays the traditional sacramental Christian events — baptism, holy communion or Eucharist, marriage, ordination, etc. — as appropriate ways to interact or meet with God… Whereas traditional, organized religious groups, such as Roman Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, and Lutherans, employ a structured, highly liturgical style of worship, Evangelical Christian worship is free form with individual pastors given authority to determine how services are planned. For instance, Evangelical Christians have embraced contemporary music forms and multi-media presentations” (Case 4:03-cv-90074-RP-TJS Document 367).
Does that mean contemporary music and multi-media presentations may threaten the constitutionality of charitable programs? It appears so, if Judge Pratt’s ruling is allowed to stand.
Pratt ruled also that:
“The Prison Fellowship and InnerChange belief in the substitutionary and atoning death of Jesus, which reflects a legalistic understanding of the sacrifice of Jesus, likewise, is not shared by many Christians… Belief in the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus is also not shared by many other, non-Evangelical Christians… Belief in an imminent, personal, and visible second coming of Jesus Christ, as held by Prison Fellowship and InnerChange, does not comport with the belief held by other non-Evangelical Christians that, if a second coming of Christ occurs, its nature is unknown, or is more spiritualized” (Case 4:03-cv-90074-RP-TJS Document 367).
And possibly most egregious of all Evangelical activities, Pratt ruled - by definition of what is believed - everything they do is construed to convert someone and is therefore unconstitutional.
Pratt’s ruling came about because of a suit filed in U. S. District Court in Iowa by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a self-proclaimed Washington D.C. “liberty watchdog group,” against PFM and InnerChange specifically.
The "InnerChange" progarm is highly structured and operated by PFM in ten states. It receives tax dollars to educate prisoners academically as well as help with job placement and life skills. A study of the group's efforts (the 2004 University of Pennsylvania Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society) has shown to dramatically reduce recidivism. While tax monies are used for non-sectarian purposes, 60 percent of InnerChange’s budget is made up of donations. But the heart of the suit is InnerChange’s bedrock principal that real change comes through the teachings of Jesus Christ, which is now ruled to be a disqualifier for faith-based initiative dollars.
The Prison Fellowship Ministry leader added: “If this definition is allowed to stand, others — lawyers and courts — can define Evangelical Christianity in an erroneous and caricature-ish way ‘as trying to convert someone,’ and set the stage for any evangelical ministry in any setting connected with the government -- whether a soup kitchen or a home for the mentally disabled, Salvation Army, or the services provided by Catholic Charities to adults in public institutions that have requested religious services -- to be ruled against anytime there is a challenge to the establishment clause.”
If that were not enough, to add insult to injury the judge fined the ministry $1.5 million dollars to be paid back to the State of Iowa and ordered that the program be discontinued. The move is bound to further discourage any other ministry attempts.
That's not all. The language of the judge's ruling also indicated that even if ministries are funded totally by private dollars, the ministry would remain unconstitutional. Such a ruling has far-reaching implications for any religious group, but especially evangelical and fundamentalist Christian groups. As the ruling stands, no one can provide religious services to anyone in a governmental setting, even if funded only by private money. The idea is to take religion out of every facet of anything government touches. That means, America is one step closer to outlawing true Christianity and outlawing Jesus Christ, the Bible and God. Confirming details here.
Is it any wonder then that God has labelled America: "mystery" Babylon - The MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS and of the Abominations of the Earth? Surely, America deserves nothing less than eternal damnation and a seat by Satan in Hell.
posted by shummer60 at Friday, July 28, 2006
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